Stranahan cruises into 1st championship game

LAKELAND — This year’s Stranahan team is going where no Mighty Dragon has gone before — the state title game.

Stranahan (25-6), which hadn’t appeared in a state semifinal since 1959, defeated Brooksville Nature Coast (23-6) 76-45 in the Class 6A state semifinals at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Wednesday.

“It’s so fulfilling,” junior Inady Legiste said, “because everybody in the neighborhood is behind our backs. Everybody says we’re not just winning it for us. We’re winning it for all the alumni and everything. We want this state championship so bad.”

Stranahan will face St. Petersburg Lakewood, which beat Jacksonville Paxon in the first Class 6A semifinal, at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

The Mighty Dragons never trailed Wednesday night, and a strong first half from Legiste and guard Brian Dugazon propelled them to a 15-point halftime lead.

Stranahan only built on its domination in the second half, going on a 12-0 run to open the third quarter. The Mighty Dragons outscored the Sharks 21-7 in the those eight minutes, putting 29 points between themselves and their opponents.

“We have lots and lots of confidence because we know how hard we worked during the summer and during all these hours of practice,” Legiste said. “We work harder than probably any team in Florida. So we have the confidence, and our defense is so together. So when we’re all on the same page, that’s when nothing can stop us.”

Legiste, a 6-foot-6 forward, led Stranahan with 23 points and six rebounds. Right behind him was guard Dugazon with 21 points. The entire team shot well, hitting 58 percent of their shots from the field.

“We’ve been preaching that from Day 1,” Stranahan coach Terrence Williams said. “Get the big man involved. … Once we get him going, we’re kind of hard to get stopped.”

Whether or not Stranahan plays as well on Thursday, the Mighty Dragons have already made history.

“That’s a long time,” Williams said. “Every time we’re in practice, you look on the banners and you see the years. You never see a 1980, a ‘90, a 2000. And you’re like, ‘Man, when are we ever going to get there?’”

“We’re here.”